Tag: Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde

Veteran Nollywood actress and filmmaker Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde, popularly known as Omo Sexy, has revealed how living abroad has been a humbling experience for her.

Omotola, in an interview with Punch, said COVID-19 changed her perspective about life, noting that visiting the United States was not the same as living there.

According to the movie star, fame came early in Nigeria and relocating to the United States taught her discipline, organisation, and presence.

She said, “The country’s situation wasn’t the main reason. I had opportunities before, but waited for the right timing. COVID-19 changed my perspective; I realised life is short. Visiting the U.S. often wasn’t the same as living there. Moving was scary, but it was a necessary leap.

“Living abroad humbled me. Fame came early in Nigeria, and moving taught me discipline, organisation, and presence. Even small things, like driving or auditioning, reminded me that nothing is guaranteed.”

Omotola also addressed the purported ban in the Nollywood industry for demanding too much pay.

She said, “That’s false. Who bans someone for asking for fair pay? The issue wasn’t greed; it was about professionalism. I was one of the highest-paid actors at the time, but a few of us were seen as “too powerful” and outspoken. I insisted on fair treatment for crew members and wouldn’t work until they were properly fed. That made me a target, but I have no regrets.”

Speaking on the challenges of Nollywood, having worked both abroad and in Nigeria, the movie star said, “The biggest challenge in Nollywood is the lack of structure. I’ve fought for standards since the beginning of my career, even being blacklisted at times for insisting on professionalism and proper documentation. That’s why I started Tefes, a platform focused on formalising the entertainment business and raising standards.

“In other countries, entertainers are recognised with salaries and pensions because they shape society. Nollywood projects Nigeria to the world through movies, culture, and music. What we lack is proper structure; functional guilds, less politics, and more professionalism.”

Veteran Nollywood actress Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde has shared the ordeal that led to her recent life-threatening surgery, urging the public to take their health more seriously.

The thespian, in an interview with Punch, said the surgery may not seem life-threatening to some people, but it was the most serious medical challenge she had ever faced.

Omotola explained that her body finally broke down after months of extreme work stress.

The veteran actor said she was rushed to the emergency department several times before doctors confirmed she needed immediate surgery, which made her terrified.

Omotola said she discovered a scar on her stomach, and doctors later told her the operation could not be done through keyhole surgery because her gallbladder was too enlarged.

The actress said she decided to share her story publicly to encourage others to prioritise their health.

She said, “For some people, it might not seem like a life-threatening surgery, but for me, it was. I had never faced anything of that severity before and had been rushed to the emergency department multiple times.

“I had been working non-stop, editing my movies Mother’s Love and RR across two continents, barely sleeping two hours a day. My body was overworked. Eventually, I was rushed to the hospital after several visits and told I needed immediate surgery. It was shocking and terrifying. My husband wasn’t around, and my kids were scared.

After the surgery, I discovered a scar on my stomach. The surgeon explained that my gallbladder was too enlarged to be removed through keyhole surgery. It was a lot to process. I tell people now, if you ever feel sharp pains in your chest or back, get a CT scan or MRI immediately. Don’t wait like I did.”

Omotola Jalade Ekeinde, the popular Nigerian actress, has opened up about her intermittent absence from the Nollywood industry.

In a social media post, she revealed that she needed to take a break to relax, reflect and recharge.

Omotola, who started her acting career at 15, explained that working non-stop for decades led her to feel the need to unwind and revitalise.

She emphasised that taking time off is essential to maintaining her creative energy and passion for her craft.

“I know many Never understand why I take time off Movies for a few years then come back and do it again!

*Lol..,I see fans asking when I’ll be back on screens but when you’ve been working since you were 15! like I have…

“You’ll do good to Relax, Relive, Relearn and Re-charge.,Who Understands & Who’s Following,” she wrote.

Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde, the famous Nigerian actress, has made a new revelation about herself.

She revealed how her father’s death affected her in ways she could not imagine or handle.

The screen diva in an exclusive interview with media personality, Chude Jideonwo opened up on losing her father at 12.

She explained they never had time to bond like father and daughter did because she was shipped off to Kaduna at a tender age. She said she barely knew her death before his demise.

According to the mother of four, having to deal with such reality at that young age almost broke her as she became emotionless, attributing her fearlessness and confidence to the ‘life-changing’ incident.

Foisted to cater for her brothers and protect them from persons who would want to separate them, the mother of four revealed she almost turned to prostitution to ensure no one succeeded in tearing them apart from each other.

She noted just when they were about to write examinations in JSS3 into senior secondary, they came to her in school, informing her that she needed to leave for home in Lagos.

Speaking about her dad’s passing and the effect on her, Omo Sexy as she fondly called stated: “I just started to see a crowd when I got to my street and I knew, definitely there’s been a death.

“So going through the crowd, the mental process till I got to my compound, and my compound was very big. And all these people, it was like a movie. I had to walk through their midst. And as you’re walking, everyone is turning to look at you, some wailing. Some looking in slow motion, I still remember the feeling.

“And I kept thinking, who’s going to greet me first? Who am I going to strike off the list? Then I saw my younger brothers. Then, I walked up the stairs and saw my mom. Then I froze because it now dawned on me that it was my dad.

“And so, I didn’t know how to react. I didn’t know if it was the guilt of me thinking it shouldn’t be him. I was too young to process it. Or the fact that I have truly missed him, and now that he’s dead; I won’t see him again? Or that I’m angry I didn’t get to spend enough time with him. He didn’t spend enough time with me because I was shipped to Kaduna. So, I didn’t know how I was feeling. And so, I was just there, numb. I was really numb.”

She added: “And now that I’m older, I think I understand it but then, I didn’t. So I just became emotionless and it has affected me till this day. There’s hardly anything you say that can move me. I am so confident of who I am that….’You no reach’. 

“I mean, I’ve said it to presidents before who have invited me. ‘No, I don’t respect you’ because I don’t fear anybody.

“I know my dad was a very strong man. He died when I was twelve. And I think everything that I’ve been, positively or negatively was sore because of that, my father’s death. I don’t fear for my life to be honest. 

“I think I probably would have become a prostitute today because I was that desperate. I got to a point and I said to myself, ‘I’d rather sell my body than for anyone to take my younger brothers apart’.”